Ray Scott is one of those guys who not everyone has heard of but everyone should definitely take the time to get to know. He’s garnered widespread acclaim and respect for his music since he first landed on the scene in 2005 with his major label debut album My Kind Of Music. Now, to coincide with, and reflect upon, his successful 10-year career, Ray is paying homage to those country music legends that have deeply influenced him with the release of his new EP, Roots Sessions Vol. 1 out today, September 18.

To celebrate the release, we have the exclusive first listen to Ray’s remake of Johnny Cash’s (Ghost) Riders In The Sky from the EP.

Earlier this year, Ray partnered with Rolling Stone Country to unveil a series of performance videos, among them his take on Billy Joe Shaver’s “Live Forever,” Don Williams’ “Good Ole Boys Like Me” and Johnny Cash’s “Ghost Riders in the Sky.” The response was so positive that RAY decided to head back into the studio, polish up these recordings and release them for country music fans to add to their collections. Beyond the aforementioned songs, the EP also features Merle Haggard’s “That’s The Way Love Goes,” Willie Nelson’s “Always On My Mind” and Tompall Glaser’s “Put Another Log on the Fire.”

“I grew up during a magical era in country music, full of individuals who were original and uncompromising,” shares RAY. “These are some songs I loved, by some artists and songwriters I loved, who shaped who I became, and who I’m still becoming as an artist. I hope you love this stuff as much as I do. These are The Roots Sessions.”

The Semora, NC native is also gearing up for a series of tour dates, kicking off with a hometown area show with Tracy Lawrence September 25 in Mebane, NC. SCOTT will then join Montgomery Gentry, Darryl Worley, and Love and Theft, among others, for the Country on the Beach event in Key West, FL September 26-29 to benefit the TJ Martell Foundation. Additional tour stops include shows in Metairie, LA, Elizabeth City, NC, and support for Charlie Daniels Band in Jacksonville, FL and Coral Springs, FL, before performing at sea as part of the Country Cruising cruise in the Bahamas October 24-30, then onto Ft. Meyers, FL, Mitchell, SD, Spring Lake Park, MN and Denver, CO. A full list of dates is below and ticket info is available at www.rayscott.com.

Scott is currently touring in support of his self-titled fourth full-length album, Ray Scott, released October 2014. The album–produced by Grammy-nominated producer David Brainard–features the hits “Ain’t Always Thirsty” and “Drinkin’ Beer” which was named one of The 25 Best Country Songs of 2014 by Rolling Stone Country (#18), was featured on SiriusXM The Highway, charting in Top 20 on the station’s Hot 45 Countdown, and was awarded UK’s Hot Disc Chart’s #1 song for 2014.

“This is sort of a regroup for me–not only artistically, but in terms of my career,” RAY explains of his decision to self-release his music. “My music and my sense of where it fits in the music business has really taken shape over the past several years. So this is an introduction to that for people who may not be familiar with me, and it’s a defining of that vision for those who already know my music.”

The acclaimed country storyteller released his debut album My Kind Of Music in 2005 on Warner Bros. Records to enormous critical acclaim. The album went on to sell over 100,000 albums and tracks and was named one of Billboard’s Top 10 Albums of 2005; the first single and title track cracked the Top 40 at radio. The impressive debut was followed up with 2008’s Crazy Like Me and 2011’s Rayality, that featured the hit single “Those Jeans” which received substantial airplay on and support of SiriusXM and went on to sell more than 200,000 copies.

Country on the Beach w/ Montgomery Gentry, Darryl Worley, Love and Theft, etc
Sat 9/26 Key West, FL Country on the Beach
Sun 9/27 Key West, FL Country on the Beach
Mon 9/28 Key West, FL Country on the Beach
Tues 9/29 Key West, FL Country on the Beach

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Hey, I'm Shannon and I'm the founder and Queen Bee of this crazy place we call NashvilleGab. A few things about me - I'm pretty much a nerd, I'm obsessive about weird things, I suck at selfies, and I tend to make corny jokes that only truly awesome people will appreciate. Oh, and I'm the queen of the random comma. Don't say I didn't warn you.